Ship winch control



1811- 1941- H. s. McKlNNON SHIP WINCH CONTROL Filed Aug. 5, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 iz/1 II.

INVENTOR.

w H E w M 7% m 1A i fl aw m. a

Jan. 21, 1941. H, s, McKINNON 2,229,110

SHIP WINCH CONTROL Filed Aug. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '00, war

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

1 Claim.

My invention relates to controls for the engines used in operating thewinches used in handling the hawsers by which a vessel is docked. Largevessels customarily have two such winches,

with their operating engines, forward, and two aft. Since the hawsersare sometimes used over the port side and sometimes over the starboard,the winches and their engines are placed mid-way therebetween. However,an operator standing beside these winches for operation of the enginesis unable, by reason of the side of the vessel, from getting a view ofthe dock and the men thereupon, and it has therefore been the custom tostation a member of the crew at the side of the vessel next the dock,that the winch operator may be instructed in the operation of suchwinches by Signals transmitted by such crew member. Due to the elementof human frailty and to the lag in such a means of control, accidentshave frequently resulted.

An object of my invention is to provide means by which winches forwardmay be operated from either side of the vessel, as well as from astation beside such winches, and similarly the winches aft may be sooperated. A preferred form in which I have installed my invention willbe described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sketch of a vessel deck indicating the 3-1) relativeposition of my apparatus as installed at one end of a vessel; Fig. 2 isa cross-sectional sketch of the same; Fig. 3 is an elevational viewpartly in cross-section showing the connected controls for thethrottling of one engine; Fig. 4 is 1.5 an elevational View partly incross-section showing the connected controls for reversing one engine;Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an end of the below deck structureof Fig. 3 on the line 55; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion4 1) of the below deck structure of Fig. 3 on the line 6$; Fig. '7 is across-sectional view of a portion of Fig. 4 on the line I'l; Fig. 8 is across-sectional view of a portion of Fig. 4 on the line 8-il; Fig. 9 isa cross-sectional view of a portion of Fig. 4

. 3 on the line 99; and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional View of a portionof Fig. 4 on the line Ill-40.

A vessel, having two winches with operating engines forward and two aftfor the handling of docking hawsers, will require a starboard station5:) and a port station forward, and the same aft. Such an arrangement ispictured generally in the Figs. 1 and 2 which shows a station I at eachrail of the vessel and two winches 2 midway between said rails. Therewill be such an arrange- 55 ment at each end of the vessel. In additionto the usual throttle and reversing controls, operable from a pointadjacent the said winches, there will be at each station a throttlecontrol and a reversing control for each winch engine, whereby bothhawsers forward may be controlled from 5 either the starboard or portrails, and similarly both hawsers aft may be controlled from similarstations at the rails there.

In providing these controls, it is desirable to use means which aresimple and rugged and 10 positive in their action. These means alsoshould be of reasonable cost as to installation and maintenance, andshouid be unaffected by weather conditions. Also it is desirable thatsuch means have no part so positioned as to materially ob- 15 structclear passageways on the deck. I have provided means, having the desiredcharacteristics, comprising, in connection with each winch engine, tworods so mounted in housings that they are longitudinally shiftable. Ateach end, each rod 20 connects with means operable at one of the saidstations whereby it may be reciprocated, and at the middle each rodconnects with the engine which operates the associated winch. By thesetwo rods the throttle and reversing mechanisms of 25 such engine arecontrolled from either side of the vessel.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 3 shows an elevational view, partly cutaway, of my preferred embodiment for controlling the steam throttle of awinch engine, and Fig. 4 shows an elevational view, partly cut away, ofmy preferred embodiment for controlling the reversing mechanism of suchan engine. One of each of these controls will be required for each winchengine. In each of said embodiments, a housing indicated generally by 3is suspended below the deck l from side to side of the vessel. As shownthese housing are formed in the main of pipe and fittings and aresupported below the deck 4 by pipe elements 5, 6 and 6', extendingvertically to connections with the deck structure. Within each housing 3a shaft 1 is so mounted that it may be reciprocated longitudinally, andthrough each vertical element 5 of each housing rods 8 are so mountedthat they may be rotated. These rods 8 terminate above deck in wheels 9,or levers I0, by which rotation is effected. On the lower end of rods 8are mounted pinions I I which engage racks l2 carried on the shaft 7.

Connection with a winch engine for its control, by means of a shaft 1 asit is reciprocated, is made through rods l4 and I! mounted respectivelythrough the housings 6 and 6', which rods above deck are suitablyconnected with said engine. The throttle control shown in Figs. 3 and 6connects with the engine by means of a fork l3 which may be placed inengagement with a throttle on said engine as will be readily understoodby one familiar with the art. The fork I3 is mounted on the upper end ofrod l4 which is so mounted in the housing 6 that it is rotatable. Thelower end of rod [4 has a pinion I5 mounted thereon, which pinion is inoperative engagement with a rack l6 mounted on the shaft 1.

The connection between the reciprocated shaft 1 and the winch engine forreversing said engine is shown in Figs. 4, 8, 9 and 10. A rod I! is somounted through the housing 6' that it may be reciprocatedlongitudinally. The upper end of rod I1 is operatively connected by alink [8 with the reversing mechanism IQ of the said engine, as will bereadily understood. The lower end of the rod l1 extends past the shaft1, and carries a rack 29 on one of its side faces. Mounted at theintersection of element 6' with the housing 3 and normal to shaft 1 androd I! is a double pinion 2| which engages said rack 28 carried on rod II and a rack 22 on the upper face of the shaft 1. The said pinion 2| iskeyed on a shaft 23 which is journaled in the walls of the couplingelement 24 of the housing 3. Mounted on one end of said shaft 23, whichextends beyond the wall of the coupling element 24, is a counterweight25 which urges the rod I! to extreme up or down positions.

For convenience in mounting and assembling the shaft 1 and itsconnections, coupling boxes 26 are inserted in the housing 3 near theends thereof, the use of which will be readily understood. Also it isdesirable that the housing 3 be filled with oil, or be so filled atleast in those sections in which rack and pinions are located.

In the throttle control device, a vertical rod 8 in the vertical supportelement 5 has an operating wheel 9 at its upper end and a pinion II onits lower end, which pinion engages a rack carried of the shaft 1 aboutits mid-point. The provision of this throttle control permits winchcontrol from a position beside the engines. The reversing control of theengine from this station will be direct in the usual manner of reversingcontrol.

In operation the winch engines forward may be controlled either from astation on the starboard rail or a station on the port rail. Similarly,the engines aft may be operated from. either rail. At each station thereis a throttle control and a reversing control for each engine. Inoperating a particular engine from a particular station, the throttlethereof will be controlled by rotating its associated rod 8 at thestation by means of the wheel 9. The shaft 1 connected therewith will bereciprocated and, through the rack [6, the pinion I 5 and shaft I4 willbe rotated whereby the throttle control on the engine will be rotated,opening or closing the steam valve. Similarly, the reversing mechanismis operated by rotation of the lever l0 and its associated rod 8 andpinion H. This will reciprocate the shaft 1 causing the rack 22 torotate the pinion 2| which in turn will reciprocate the rack 20 and itsassociated rod I! whereby the reversing mechanism of the engine isoperated.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

In a vessel having side rails and a winch stationed amidship and adaptedto actuate the docking hawser of said vessel; means disposed adjacentsaid winch for controlling the reversing mechanism of the winch engine,counterweight means for maintaining said control means in its extremepositions, and means for actuating said control means and counterwieghtmeans, said actuating means comprising a reciprocable shaft below thedeck of the vessel and extending transverseiy of said deck, means ateach end of said shaft for reciprocating said shaft, and means above thedeck and adjacent said rails for actuating said shaft reciprocatingmeans.

HARLAND S. MCKINNON.

